Trench Run
by Darthlane
Summary: How did the events that made two Rebellion hot shot pilots some of the most recognized faces in the galaxy really occur? Wedge Antilles POV of the infamous Trench Run. One Shot. I do not own Star Wars.
**May the Fourth be with you!**

Wedge Antilles took a deep breath, pulling in behind Luke Skywalker, one of his fellow pilots. They Biggs Darklighter pulled his X-wing in next to Wedge's, the two of them flanking the young rookie pilot. Wedge barely had any idea who this Skywalker kid was, and was uneasy with someone he didn't trust taking lead. But he trusted Biggs, and Biggs had vouched for him. And on any other mission Wedge would have been fine with that.

But not here. This was the damn Death Star.

They had only been attacking the thing for a few minutes, and already the rebel fighters had been decimated. It was down to just the three of them and a couple of other pilots. Just about half a dozen fighters to destroy this behemoth of a space station. It was pure madness to think they had a chance.

"We'll stay back, far enough to cover you." Biggs said to his longtime friend. Their X-wings sped through the trench, with too much yet too little time to do what needed to be done. They had to drop a proton torpedo into a 2-meter hole that supposedly would lead to the destruction of the whole station. As if that wasn't difficult enough, there was every chance it would collide with the shaft partway down and do practically no damage, making the attack worthless. And between the TIE fighters that were quickly hunting down all of his friends- Porkins- and the Death Star drawing steadily closer to being within firing range of Yavin Four, they would only get one shot at this.

"My scope shows the tower, but I can't see the exhaust port." Biggs informed the others. He sounded worried. Wedge knew for sure that he himself felt worried. How much faith did Biggs have in Luke?

"Are you sure the computer can hit it?" Wedge asked, hinting at his concerns but not willing to actually voice them. If Luke knew about Wedge's doubts, it could make him even more nervous and likely to fail than he probably was. Wedge didn't envy the kid. He had put the fate of the entire Rebel Alliance on his shoulders, and possibly even the whole galaxy. Who knew how the Empire would use this thing if they lost? They had already blown up Alderaan, after all.

"Watch yourself, increase speed, full throttle." Luke said back, not answering the question. Damn this kid! He was trying to cover that he didn't know what the hell he was doing, but Wedge could see through Luke's sham.

"What about that tower?" Wedge asked, his voice rising. With each passing second he felt more and more uneasy about this trench run. They were doomed.

"You worry about those fighters!" Luke snapped back. Wedge could hear the desperation in his voice. "I'll worry about the tower."

Wedge saw a familiar but unwelcome shape show up above them in his viewport. The way that Biggs' fighter was shifting he must have noticed them too. Three Imperial fighters were arcing overhead to pull in behind them. And when they did, there wouldn't be much that any of the three Rebel pilots could do, unless they wanted to abandon the run. In this trench, if those pilots were even somewhat capable then Wedge and his comrades would be sitting ducks to take out at their leisure.

"Fighters coming in .3." Wedge said, his voice shaking a little bit. He realized that all of a sudden he was really, really scared to die. It had been all fine and noble when he had volunteered for the mission, but now he was really facing it. There were three guys sitting behind him with guns at his back and there wasn't anything he could do to prevent them from shooting. He couldn't even dodge, not without risking Biggs and Luke. He was going to die.

Sure enough, one of the TIEs shot and it hit Wedge's fighter, making the whole ship rattle around, a strange thing to experience in zero G. But miraculously, he had survived. Many of his screens were flashing yellow and red, indicating severe damage. His fighter may still be in the air, but it wasn't going to stay that way much longer. And he would rather land it of his own merit than crash.

"I'm hit!" Wedge exclaimed. He realized that he had to get out of there now. He couldn't help Luke and Biggs from here, he was just in the way. "I can't stay with you!" he pulled forward on his pilot's yoke, causing his craft to rise out of the trench.

"Get clear, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there." Luke had spoken Wedge's mind, and it hurt to hear the words out loud. He felt like he was letting them down, that he was abandoning them to fight the Imperials alone.

Part of him wanted the Imperial fighters to follow him. Even if it was just one, it would mean that he could still help. He just felt so helpless now, lazily making his way from the Death Star. Even the turrents were ignoring him.

"Sorry." Wedge said to his fellow pilots as he veered away. Now he could only watch as Luke and Biggs kept up the trench run, being real heroes while he just watched.

"Hurry, Luke." Biggs warned. "They're coming much faster this time. We can't hold them." Now from this better vantage point, Wedge could see that the lead fighter was not a TIE fighter at all, but rather the rarer TIE interceptor, which was much more adept at taking down enemy fighters. Wedge had seen them in action a couple of times, with each time leaving Wedge feeling like he had seen a powerful bird of prey. Whoever was in there must be a very accomplished pilot.

Wedge grew more worried as he watched his friends struggle. Now with Wedge gone Biggs had a lot more mobility. He was bouncing around the trench, not leaving his enemies any chance to get a proper lock on him. "Hurry up, Luke!" Biggs said, as though hoping his words could make this go faster. "Quick! Quick!" Biggs said desperately, using every trick in the book to throw off his opponents.

It was over so quickly. One second, Biggs had been there, desperately doing what he can to keep living. Then in a poof of fire, Biggs was gone. It seemed incredible that the intelligent, wise-cracking pilot who had been so full of life before was gone, just like that.

"It should have been me." Wedge muttered, trying to turn his X-wing back towards the Death Star. He had to help somehow. Luke was all alone against the three Imperial fighters on his tail. But there wasn't anything he could do besides watch, more tense than he could ever remember being before. "C'mon, Luke." Biggs had believed in him. Now Wedge had to as well. "You can do this, Luke. Just don't die."

Then Luke did one of the strangest things. He turned off his targeting computer. For some crazy and scary reason, the kid had decided to make it impossible to see. What could he possibly be thinking?

It wouldn't matter if he died. The three Imperial pilots were closing in. Wedge's heart was pounding. Luke was getting close, maybe he could get off the shot before they shot him down. Just maybe.

Then came the other strangest thing. A blast came from an unexpected source, striking one of the Imperials and destroying the fighter. Wedge quickly figured out that a YT- 1300 had arrived on the scene. Who the hell could that be, he wondered. The ship fired on one of the other TIEs, sending it careening into the Interceptor and knocking both off course. The TIE fighter hit the trench wall and exploded, while the Interceptor went spinning off into space.

Wedge couldn't believe it. Against all odds, Luke was still there in place to drop the damn proton torpedo. After a moment, Luke finally ended the wait by dropping the torpedo. Amazingly the bomb went down the thermal exhaust port, just like planned.

Wedge tried to speed up his craft to get away from the Death Star as fast as he could. He knew that behind him Luke and the YT pilot were doing the same.

Then it blew up.

Wedge just had to laugh. And he kept laughing. He should have trusted in Luke, like Biggs had. Even in death, Biggs had been right. "You actually did it, kid." He muttered. "You did it."


End file.
